Overwatch: Trials of Life
by ritalynjin
Summary: Part-by-part story about the everyday lives of the Overwatch members before the recall. Pairings and mild adult themes included. Please open for the summary of each chapter.
1. Chapter 1

_/Chapter 1/ Summary: A very much weakened Hanzo struggles to find the meaning of life after he meets Genji, who had been alive all along. Alone and afraid, he has to come to terms with himself before venturing out into the world again. Meanwhile, Ana and Reinhardt are running away from Widowmaker, who was dispatched to retrieve a hidden key, which only Ana knows where it is located._

* * *

Hanzo sat up abruptly, shaking, in the silence of the night. He had been asleep, though he wasn't exactly having a great one, up until he had been awakened by the very same nightmare that had been haunting him every single night for the past two weeks. Every single time, he was running away from something, or someone, in a dark alley. He couldn't help it; he just kept running and running until the soles of his feet ran sore. Stricken by fear, he'd fall onto the wooden floor, and a stranger would appear right when he was going to get up. And there it was, as the lightning struck, he'd see the face of his brother.

He held his palm over his face and felt the hotness of his cheeks. He was sweating profusely, again. Taking deep and long breaths, he tried to calm himself down once again. Pulling off the covers, Hanzo headed to the bathroom to clean himself the wretched memories off of him.

As he turned the shower dials meticulously to make sure he'd get the perfect temperature, he undressed. The wall-to-floor mirror stood beside him. Hanzo had the sculpted body of a Greek god - a reward he obtained from the hours end on end of training - was something millions around the world would've adored, but to him, he felt trapped in the body of a monster; a murderer. His body was nothing but a lone, empty shell, and he yearned so much to escape from it all. But how?

Letting the water run down his head, his neck, then his back; it felt like a metaphorical cleansing of his soul. As the water flowed down, it carried along his burdens and his sins along with it. Lifting his head up, he let the warm water smear across his face. He wanted to let it all go.

...

The autumn winds blew hard by the coast and on the beach. The gray clouds felt like they were omnipresent; never fading. Rainy days were expected in the coming days, but that wasn't anywhere enough to stop the townsfolk from enjoying their days as it is. So long as there was still daylight, the children took every single opportunity to go out as much as they could. When the winter would eventually start to set in in the coming few weeks, they wouldn't be so blessed anymore.

Ana and Reinhardt had used a good portion of their afternoon chasing down some criminals in the small town. A typical bank robbery. It's not that the seaside peacekeeping force had been a shortage of manpower, but Ana and Reinhardt were acting cops to pay for their rent. Of course, being former Overwatch members running around Europe on a somewhat forced getaway, what else could they do best?

"Running- out- of- breath, I see? Good to know that age is finally catching up with you, and you're not some sort of immortal like you were leading all of us to believe." Ana snickered at Reinhardt casually, although she herself was clearly running out of breath herself, both of them slowing down by the side of the stone road, carrying a pouch of gold coins each, their reward for doing such an exceptional job. Though they knew a portion of it would go to rent, Ana was sure at least some of it could go to a nice dinner tonight. She smiled at the thought.

But before Reinhardt could respond - clearly still short of breath - a familiar voice answered Ana. Someone was standing right next to them in the dark alley nearby. "Not looking too bad yourself. Just don't lose yourself in your head."

Ana didn't even need a second to recognize it.

"Jack? Is that...is that really you?"

"Why, surprise, surprise, soldier." 76 stepped out of the shadows.

"It's been too long, my friend."

...

As Hanzo dried himself up in the shower, he thought about the recent events that had happened the past few days. Genji had paid him a visit, as if back from the afterlife. Hanzo came out of the shower, heading towards his wardrobe to find something new to put on.

Hanzo was sure that the face he saw was disfigured in almost every way possible. His eyes, his nose, his jaw. But when Genji had re-appeared in front of him in Hanamura, and in his life, Hanzo couldn't believe it. All this while, he had been grieving, offerings after offerings, for his allegedly dead brother; who was really alive all along.

He wasn't sure what to do after their meeting. Of course, he had thought long and hard about what his brother had said, but he was in a constant state of mixed emotions. If Genji had really forgiven him, then why did he not stay?

'Why didn't I turn back on the day of our fight? Why did I leave him on the floor, left to bleed? Why did I go all out on him? Why didn't I search for him while he was gone? What did he mean by what he has become? Who helped him? How?'

Realizing he has been standing in the nude for ten minutes now, Hanzo quickly swallowed his thoughts and got dressed, and walked back to his bed.

...

Right by the end of the road that winded right along the end of the beach, a little cottage stood humbly. The chimney puffed out a constant stream of smoke, and indication that the fire was used extensively. Of course, it was only because Reinhardt wouldn't stop ordering more "seconds". By then, the little cafe was mostly empty as the night drew to a close, as most of its patrons have left for the night. Tomorrow was a weekday. Reinhardt, Ana and Soldier 76 were the last three customers of the cafe for the night.

The trio had spent more than three hours catching up with each other and talked about practically everything under the sun. From their individual adventures the past two years, it felt like they'd been missing out on all the action. Of course, Reinhardt only pretty much nodded to whatever Ana had to say since his mouth was almost always full. It felt like the old times.

"You do realise that this is not what I meant by 'we can splurge on dinner tonight', right?" Ana whispered. She wasn't sure they had enough money to pay for all the food the big guy had finished. Reinhardt gave her a short, almost guilty look, then went back to grab another chicken wing from the plate.

Feeling defeated, she called out to the waitress. She knew they wouldn't get kicked out, but from the looks of it, she was sure the owner and the staff had been waiting for them to finish all night long. The cafe was supposed to close almost half an hour ago. She wondered how they would've been treated if they weren't some sort of Celebrity-and-Hero-of-the-world. Being heroes do bring about some perks.

After they paid, Ana and 76 helped to hold the food coma-induced Reinhardt sturdy on the ground. He was a huge man, and a heavier man to carry. The trekked slowly out of the cafe and uphill towards their residence, a small room on the second floor of a bakery. They greeted the lady who had rented them the place as she was heading to bed herself.

If supporting Reinhardt on the ground was difficult, one could only imagine trying to lift a half-dozed Reinhardt up a flight of wooden stairs.

Ana and 76 carried him the last few steps towards a small bed near the far corner of the room. With one large heave, they dropped him onto the bed, much to their relief.

"Well he won't be waking up for at least another twelve hours. Guess I gotta work alone tomorrow." Ana broke the silence as she took off her outer coat and hung it on a latch on the wall.

The room was spacious but very, very old. A simple room with only a small bed and a table at the corner, as well as a large stone fireplace that stretched from the roof to the floor. 76 scanned the place and saw a rolled up mattress at the other end of the room, which must've been where Ana sleeps. On the opposite corner, he saw that most of their belongings were tucked neatly to the side. On top of a couple of large backpacks, was a couple of more familiar items; two Overwatch walkie-talkies. Obviously, they were turned off so that their positions remained a secret. But it was odd to him that they'd left it outside so exposed.

"Do you want anything? Coffee?" Ana asked, holding out a sachet of instant coffee on the table.

76 replied, "No thank you."

"Well, one for me then," Ana said again, then placed the kettle onto the metal grill in the fireplace. With some effort, she had quickly made a fire start burning.

The stars twinkled as they have for millennia. The night breeze sailed smoothly through the town, passing by and combing through the streets. Lights on the houses were being switched off one by one, as people headed to catch some sleep. The wind picked up face, and the temperature dropped quickly.

The fire burned furiously, and both of them sat in the silence, knowing that no words are needed to appreciate each other's presence. Talking for hours had dried their mouths out of saliva had made them both too tired to talk anyway. Ana sipped on her newly-made coffee, the steam still visible, while 76 took his visor for the first time that day. They exchanged a look only those of couple could do, feeling a love indescribable. It kept them warm for the night.

Reinhardt was sound asleep.

* * *

 _Footnote: Hi! Thanks for making it through the first chapter! Overwatch is actually something I've only recently been introduced to, but I'm loving every single part of it. The story, the characters, the gameplay; everything is so good. I hope to post new chapters on a regular basis. Please drop a PM if you have any suggestions! Hope to see you in the next one!_


	2. Chapter 2

_/Chapter 2/ Summary: DVa arrives unexpectedly near the town in which Ana and Reinhardt is currently hiding in. Meanwhile, Genji returns safely to the Shambali Monastery and finds that Zenyatta is missing._

* * *

It's been a couple of days since 76 left the town. He wasn't the type to settle. Always fighting for justice, for peace. He reasoned that someone out there would need his help, somewhere he needed to be. Ana tried not to take heart, but she couldn't help it. She felt like she couldn't go on another couple of years without him. She feared if something else happened to them, in their old age and war-torn lives, or something more severe...

She only prayed it wouldn't be their last time seeing each other, as she reluctantly saw 76 walk away and into the crowd a couple of days ago.

...

Genji climbed up onto the roof of one of the houses and sat down quietly. He sat legs crossed as he withdrew a Japanese takeaway box. The steam welcomed him to eat. He took his mask off to enjoy his treat.

Eating his ramen noodles slowly, Genji gazed into the night sky. A star-scattered view was definitely a spectacular sight for his sore eyes. He'd been running around for weeks now, on the way back to the monastery after making his "Great Debut" to his brother a few weeks ago.

Though his skills never needed any sharpening, he wasn't sure what to say at first. He's been practicing his lines for ages in preparation for the debut. He wasn't exactly sure what to say, but in the end he was more than satisfied.

Of course, Genji didn't really need to eat. At the very least, he didn't need to eat as often as he used to. His mech suit provided for most of his energy needs, and truth be told, he actually winced when he was told the parts where his body ended and where the suit started. The borders were all over the place. One of those borders was inside his gut. 79 little needles pricked into his small intestine - at least what's left of it - from the suit to keep him running for most of his days. He really only eats nowadays to indulge himself in the pleasure of eating. Eating was one of the many things he started to appreciate more ever since he "died".

Genji took his time eating. It wasn't that the takeaway was particularly scrumptious, but again, the pleasure off just sitting down and eating was something he'd learned to appreciate. Once he was done, he responsibly ran up to a rubbish bin to dispose his takeaway box.

Much like his need for food (that is, he doesn't really need it anymore), Genji didn't really need to sleep much either. So tonight he would give sleeping a miss and instead pick up the pace. At the rate he's going, he'd reach Nepal in a day or two.

Crouching down, he got ready to dash.

And in the darkness of the moonless night, a green streak could be seen speeding through the town.

...

Reinhardt took off his officer attire and placed it down on the table beside his bed. He hesitated, then walked towards the other end of the room where he and Ana's personal items were located. And among the neat mess, a shiny surface caught his eye. His armor. He pulled off the drapes which exposing his suit and their other belongings.

Ana had insisted that they keep laying low for most of the time. That meant no suits and no weapons for as long as they are residing in a particular area. The exception was that they'd have to wear their own suits and have their weapons in hand when moving from one town to another for their own safety.

And now, for the first time in nearly a month, they'd be on the move again.

As Reinhardt lifted his mech suit up, Ana came through the door.

"Well, I've just paid the landlady our last rent. She was so kind to wait for our pay like that. I'll miss her," Ana sighed under her breath. They weren't always so lucky to come across such a kind stranger. Ana reached out for her own outfit, getting ready to go.

…

Genji arrived at the monastery hours earlier than expected. He hesitated at the door.

Genji pushed open the humongous wooden doors effortlessly. Oddly, there was a certain silence to the monastery. Of course, it was always quiet, but he had a sort of gut feeling. He felt as if something drastic had just happened earlier. The scent of the many incense sticks that were usually scattered around wasn't there. There were no distant sounds of other monks chanting nor were there any sounds of the bell ringing. It had already struck 4 in the afternoon. Usually they'd be a bell being struck now.

Suddenly it hit him: Zenyatta.

Genji rushed towards the center of the monastery and was shocked by the mess along the corridors and common grounds. His heart beat started to rise as he took in as much information as he could. Theories started flowing through his mind. What had happened to his home?

He rushed to the cave in which Zenyatta is usually seen every afternoon to mediate. He didn't know what to expect, but he wanted answers quick. He activated his scanner to locate any other living bodies within a two kilometer radius. It should cover the entire monastery.

The silence all around the monastery added on to the eeriness of the place. It felt like a ghost town. The only sounds he heard was his synthetic heart beating and the scanner which continued to do its work.

As he climbed the last few steps up to the cave, he found it completely isolated. Empty. At the same time, his scanner concluded its scanning results. Nobody else was here. Zenyatta was gone.

...

Ana and Reinhardt gave the landlady their last goodbyes before they set foot onto the main road. They covered their outfits with another layer of clothing in an effort to make themselves stand out less from crowds. But in all due honesty, they knew that their "stealth attires" were no match for Widow's sharp eyes and her infrared visor. They'd have to rely on distance rather than stealth to keep her at bay. Should she find them before they found a way to terminate the power of the key, they'd both be dead.

The duo had barely walked for an hour. They had just crossed the far end of the town. The landlady said there was a bus that could bring them to a train station. From there, a train could bring them to London. They were hoping that Tracer would be there and be willing to help them.

In the distance, Reinhardt saw something glistening in the night sky, "A meteor. How beautiful."

It had really looked like a meteor at first, with a tail of fire at the back and all, but as it got closer Reinhardt started to doubt his previous statement.

The two of them were in the middle of an empty field but it seemed like the flying object was heading straight right towards them. Ana was alarmed. She didn't hesitate to take out her rifle and pointed it right towards the object. She used her scope to get a better look.

"It's not a meteor. It's a mech," she explained.

Reinhardt looked at her with a blank expression, "Could it be-"

Before he could finish his sentence, Dva's mech collided straight towards him. The two rolled for a good ten meters before coming to a halt. Ana rushed in and got her health pack ready.

Reinhardt's armor was so strong that he left pretty much unscathed, but the suit had deformed to a large extent. Ana rushed to open the hatch. Inside the mech, Hana, sat unconscious.

* * *

 _Footnote: Hi there! Second chapter is finally up. I feel as though I still need to brush up my writing style, so please drop me a PM or review if you have any suggestions on how to make it better. I'll appreciate that so much :) I hope I'll see you in the next chapter, too! Have a great day!_


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